The present invention generally relates to a book insert and, more particularly, to a book insert having one or more pockets for carrying compact discs.
In recent years, it has become desirable to market books and an additional media, such as, for example, audio cassette tapes, computer diskettes, digital video discs, and compact discs, as a single unit. By marrying the technology of sound recordings or computer files with the printed text of books, the entertainment and/or informational value of the books is greatly enhanced, thereby increasing the marketability of such books.
More specifically, the surge in popularity of compact audio and video discs (hereinafter collectively xe2x80x9cCDsxe2x80x9d), combined with the small size of CDs has made the sale of books together with CDs particularly attractive. To enable the successful marketing of a combination book and CD product, a carrier device for packaging the books and CDs as a single unit is desirable. Presently, a number of devices are available for packaging CDs or similarly shaped media with books or the like.
By way of example, Uchida U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,599, discloses a container for holding a floppy disc that has a double-sided adhesive strip on a back panel of the container for securing the container to the inside of a binder. Pace et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,605 discloses a folder for binding and mailing CDs. Stevens U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,912 discloses a personalized envelope assembly for a disc that can be bound into the interior of a printed publication.
In addition to patents directed to the unitary packaging of CD-like media with books, several patents are directed to techniques for packaging a CD individually or in combination with other CDs. For example, Bauer U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,496 discloses a package for a compact disk or computer diskette that includes a corrugated board inset attached to a panel of a die-cut sleeve. Manning U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,477 discloses a storage container having the overall appearance of a conventional book but which actually includes an interior cavity having pockets for holding CDs or audio cassettes. Lastly, Pettey U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,491 is directed to a CD folder having the form of a booklet with a front and back cover, and having a pocket for holding CDs attached to the interior of the front cover.
Thus, it is desirable to provide a carrier device which enables the packaging of one or more CDs with a book as a single unit. It is desirable that such a carrier device be light-weight, inexpensive and detachably secured to the book without adding bulk and without increasing the dimensional size of the book. Moreover, it is desirable that the carrier device be easily manufactured and be usable as a storage unit for the CD while the CD is not in use.
In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, a CD carrier for insertion into a book comprises a single paperboard sheet having a first face and a second face, and includes a plurality of hinge lines dividing the sheet into a plurality of panels, with each of the panels having first and second faces corresponding to the first and second faces of the sheet. The CD carrier further comprises a first panel and a second panel are separated by a first hinge line, with the first panel being foldable along the first hinge line to a folded position adjacent the second panel to form a pocket therebetween. The pocket is sized to receive a CD therein. A third panel is provided which is separated from the second panel by a second hinge line, and a fourth panel is provided which is separated from the third panel by a third hinge line, the first, second and third hinge lines being generally parallel to each other. A fifth panel is provided which is separated from the third panel by a fourth hinge line, with the fourth hinge line being perpendicular to the first, second and third hinge lines. A tear away strip is provided, with the tear away strip defined in part by cooperating frangible connections on each of the third and fourth panels. The CD carrier is formed by folding the first panel along the first hinge line to create the pocket, folding the fifth panel along the fourth hinge line thereby positioning the second face of the first panel side by side with the second face of the fifth panel, folding the first and second panels together along the second hinge line until the second face of the first panel is in confronting relationship with the second face of the fifth panel, and then folding the fourth panel along the third hinge line so that an overlapping edge portion of the fourth panel overlaps the second panel but is unsecured to the second panel. Cooperating portions of the fourth panel and the second panel form a binding face adapted to permit adhesive securement of the CD carrier to the book.
In further accordance with a preferred embodiment, the fourth panel may be sized so that the overlapping edge portion extends at least twenty five percent across a width of the second panel. The frangible connection of the fourth panel divides the fourth panel into a fixable section and a removable section, with the fixable section forming a portion of the binding face, and with the fixable section being at least as wide as the removable section. The CD may be combined with a book, with the book including a CD carrier receiving area. The binding face is adhesively secured to the CD carrier receiving area, and upon removal of the tear away strip the CD carrier is openable in book form along the second hinge line.
Preferably, at least one of the first panel and the second panel includes a pair of tabs, with each of the tabs being foldable along a tab hinge line to a folded position. Each of the tabs includes an adhesion surface to permit adhesive securement of the first panel to the second panel when the first and second panels are in the folded position.
Still preferably, the second face of each of the panels is adapted to receive printed matter thereon. The first panel includes a side edge, with the side edge preferably including a cutout extending from the side edge of the first panel toward the center of the first panel. The cutout is sized to reveal a pie-shaped portion of a CD disposed in the pocket, the pie-shaped portion extending about to a central aperture of the CD. A divider may be provided in order to divide the pocket into a pair of compartments. Preferably, the divider comprises an adhesive strip extending generally across a width of at least one of the first and second panels.
Other features and advantages will become readily apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.